One of the ideas to reward your bridesmaids is to have a spa day. Nails, facials or even makeup and hair before the ceremony. We used Salon Tempe to get our hair and nails done at the location but the week before we all went over and had a spa day there. Of course this included campaign. Nails done to match our dresses. Especially fun if your not one of the bachelorette party instead have the event at the salon.

Wedding preparations include selecting a wedding and coming up with a guest list. However, in normal cases, there are people that couples want to invite but have higher chance of not making it to the big day. In such circumstances, couples wonder whether they should still invite guests who cannot make it to their wedding.

Deciding whether to invite a guest that won’t make it to a wedding depend on several factors. When the guest is distant relative or family friend, couples should think twice before they make any decision. However, when the guest already expressed that he/she will not make it, couples should not send out an invitation anymore to prevent the other party from thinking that they are asking for more gifts.

However, when the guest is someone who is very close to any of the couple or an older relative or friend, sending an invitation is a must. Elder people may want to receive invitations so that they can have something as a keepsake. When sending invitation to these people, couples should add a brief note expressing their regret that the invited person cannot make it to their wedding. This way, the other party will feel that they are value by the about-to-be-wed couple. Showing these people concern will inspire them to look for appropriate gift to send.

Invitations should also be sent to close friend even when they will possibly not make it to the wedding. Friends are like family, and they will feel very appreciated when they get an invitation though they won’t be able to attend their friends’ wedding. Moreover, close friends will be more excited to hear details of the wedding.

Wedding costs can be dreadful thing for people who are about to get married as wedding preparations can really drain them of their money. Thus, it is important that couples learn to minimize costs for their wedding. This goal can be achieved by some worthy tips.

Couples should consider forgoing favors as guests usually do not care for them. In fact, such things are commonly left behind after the wedding or just accumulate dust in cabinets of guests.

Instead of using save-the-date cards, couples should just email to communicate with their guests. Moreover, they should keep the numbers of their guests as low as possible. Only family and close friends may be invited. If a guest is single, there is no need to ask him or her to bring a plus-one.

However, the more important thing is that couples should consider the amount of money that they can afford to spend, especially when weddings are followed by receptions, when people must be fed.

Couples can also cut their budget for photography as high-end phones are now used by most people, so they won’t run out of having good pictures. In case of the cake, they should choose a simple design to avoid incurring additional costs. As for brides, they should not pour all their money to their wedding dress, as guests are more apt to remember the food than what they are wearing on their wedding day.

You can stream a wedding online live but keep in mind a videographer can be expensive.

Wedding planning is a hectic activity that takes up considerable amount of time. Still, people can make something good out of by doing several things that they can use to pay it forward.

DONATING ON BEHALF OF GUESTS

Couples spend many nights planning for the perfect wedding favors for their guests. However, guests only normally end up not using them or losing them somewhere. To avoid wasting their money on such wedding favors, couples should just consider donating to charities and share the news with their guests that they have helped other people on their behalf.

USE CREDIT-CARD REWARDS

Wedding preparations require spending may it be in cash or credit card. Meanwhile, purchasing with credit cards enable people to earn rewards and perks that they can redeem later on. Couples can donate the rewards that they earn from wedding preparations to charities that will greatly benefit from such things.

REGISTRY

There are web-based registries, such as Honeyfund, which can couples use to donate a portion of the amount given to them by their guests to charities that will appreciate such gesture. Couples also have the option of registering specific items that they choose to donate. Guests will also be informed of where their gifts will go to.

FLOWERS

Floral arrangement for wedding are expensive. Yet, flowers do not last long, and flower arrangements cannot be reused. To avoid wasting flowers or instead of just giving them away to guests, couples can send the flowers to nursing homes, rehabilitation facilities, or senior citizen centers where the flowers can be repurposed for other uses. This way, they can make residents, patients, and care providers happy even for just a while.

LEFTOVERS

With proper arrangement with caterers or venues, coupes may bring home leftover foods from their wedding. The amount of food left will be a lot more than enough for just two people. To wasting food, couples may donate wedding leftovers to local shelters. Surely, they will feel great knowing that they have saved food by giving it to those who are in need of a decent meal.

VOLUNTEERING

After their wedding, couples normally proceed right away with their honeymoon. Honeymoons can be still a lot more fun if newlywed couples spend of their time to help others. They can volunteer abroad with the help of various international or local organizations. Honeymoons may be meant for rest and relaxation of newlyweds, but they will also feel good knowing that they have exerted effort for the benefit of people in need.

WEDDING CLOTHES AND ACCESSORIES

Though it is normal for newlyweds to keep their wedding attire, they should consider donating their clothes and wedding accessories for other couples who cannot afford to buy dresses or other things for their own wedding. Newlyweds will feel satisfaction from making a person’s dream wedding come true.

With regard to weddings, the bridesmaid is one of the most important people that should be present. Interestingly, being a bridesmaid is legitimate job, and there are actually people who hire people to become their bridesmaid during their wedding.

Bridesmaid service businesses offer courses for bridesmaids and maid-of-honors, coaching services for brides, and day-of coordination to ensure that everything goes will during a wedding. Though it seems to be a quite amazing and especially glamorous job, being a bride for hire is no easy feat.

Jen Glantz is a professional bridesmaid for hire who recently gave an interview regarding her experiences with her job. Though the job is admittedly hard, Jen takes pride in walking down the aisle along with people whom she really does not know. Jen’s career started when her roommate, who was also a professional bridesmaid, inspired her to post an ad on Craigslist.

In her ad, she relayed that she had already been a bridesmaid for her friends multiple times. In those instances, she had to prepare four different dresses and pre-wedding pep talks for the brides. And with additional information on her bridesmaid skills, Jen received numerous inquiries from people who wanted to hire her.

Afterward, Jen decided to launch her own business, Bridesmaid for Hire. The business offers services on providing help to brides in dress selection and make-up and resolving day-of issues. Crash course for first-time bridesmaids is also offered at $35, whereas $2000 package includes personalized assistance with wedding planning and 8 hours of day-of bridal support. Basically, Jen is call to resolve any drama that may on and during wedding proper. And people hire because she really does know when certain wedding-related problems arise.

Jen also forms personal connections with her clients. In fact, some brides confessed things about their grooms, and others wanted to backed down from getting wed but Jen convinced them to still walk down the aisle. In other cases, Jen’s identity remains hidden and she connives with brides to make up a fake backstory. There are also times when she had to attend multiple weddings in just one day.

One important component of weddings is the wedding invitation. This thing provides guest with pertinent information regarding the wedding and some rules that must be followed by the guests. However, when preparing invitations, there are some important things that about-to-married couples should consider.

WHEN TO SEND THE INVITATIONS

Invitations should be sent out six to eight weeks before the wedding. This time period allows guests to make the necessary adjustments to their schedules and to make their own preparations as well. Moreover, those who live out of town can book hotel reservations or search for a place where they can stay before/after the wedding. In case of destination wedding, guests should be give more time, and thus invitations should be sent out at least three months before the big event. On the other hand, other couples prefer sending out save-the-date cards, which are delivered six to eight months before the wedding.

SETTING THE DEADLINE FOR RSVP

The RSVP date should be set two to three weeks before the wedding. This period will allow couples to make the final head count and organize the seating chart. For guests who have not sent any response yet, couples should drop them a message or call them and ask for their RSVPs.

WHERE TO INCLUDE INFORMATION ABOUT WEDDING WEBSITE

Wedding websites can be included with save-the-dates or in the form of small cards included in formal invitations.

INCLUSION OF REGISTRY INFO IS A NO

Including registry information on invitations or save-the-date is discouraged as guests may consider it to be impolite. Providing such information implies that guests should provide gifts. Couples should just relay this information to close family and friends and let these people spill the details to other guests.

HOW TO INFORM GUESTS NOT TO BRING THEIR KIDS

The invitations should be enough to accomplish this goal. Invitations should include names of each guest, and guests should realize that the invitations are meant only for those whose names are included. For those who included their children’s names with their reply, about-to-be-wed couples should call such people and explain the nature of their wedding.

INFORMING GUESTS ABOUT THE DRESS CODE

Information on dress code can be placed at the lower right-hand corner of invitations. Phrases, such as “black-tie,” “cocktail attires,” or “casual attire” will suffice. Invitations with formal and traditional letterpress and calligraphy will already give guests an idea on what to wear in the wedding. Meanwhile, square invites using playful fonts and bright colors imply that the event requires casual wear. Details on dress code may also be included in the wedding website.

WHETHER TO INCLUDE A PLUS-ONE

It is not always necessary to invite guests to attend the wedding with a date. This is especially true when the invited person is single. Moreover, plus-ones are not preferred when couples are having a small wedding that includes only family and close friends. In case, that a guest replies with plus-one, couples should call them up and explain why bringing a date is not possible. Still, consideration should be allotted for those with partners.

WHERE TO PLACE THE RETURN ADDRESS

Return address is ideally placed on the back flap on the envelope. The address should be that of the person who will receive response cards. Response person can be one of the couple or their partners. RSVP envelopes should also include this information and postage.

DO NOT INVITE PEOPLE TO THE CEREMONY ONLY

It is unusual to allow only the immediate family to attend the wedding reception and make guests attend the ceremony only. Normally, when invitations to weddings imply attending both the ceremony and reception.

INVITING A FRIEND WITH A PLUS-ONE WHOSE NAME IS NOT ON THE INVITATION

Couples may decline to accepting plus-one especially when the name is not indicated in the invitation. Basically, invitations are non-transferrable for people invited by their name. Couples should explain carefully why they are refusing a plus-one whom they did not originally invite.

Wilton 100-Pack Single Border Invitation comes with 100 sheets of ivory-colored invitations accompanied with mailing envelopes that have rectangular flaps and three test sheets. With dimensions of 5.5 x 8.5 inches, the papers’ elegant design makes it a perfect material for printing invitations for various occasions like weddings. Moreover, the papers are compatible with most inkjet and laser printers.

PROS

The papers are thick enough but they also fit on printers quite easily. The border comes with a satin finish that makes the papers more elegant. Moreover, the test sheets prevent wasting the invitation sheets when test printing them.

Make It a Party with Sizzix is a DIY guide for planning a party, designing and making the invitations, and decorating the party place without hiring any decorators. The book includes a number of projects that be achieved through the use of the Sizzix die-cutting machines. Some pages are also allocated for ideas about handmade gifts and party food items that can just be prepared at home. Divided into 22 sections, each section of the book is designed to provide instructions for making a specific project that is perfect for a certain occasion like Christmas, baby shower, wedding shower, and many other kinds of events.

PROS

Not only does the book provide people with new creative ideas, it also teaches them to use simple things lying around their homes, like paper straws and twines, in creating artful projects that they can use for any event that they are planning. The book is also designed in accordance with the holidays throughout the year so people will have no trouble when they search for ideas that they can use on a certain period of the year.

EDITORIAL REVIEW

Sizzix is one the more popular brands of die cutting machines in the world of arts and craft making. It has been known to make products with cutting edge and timeless designs. Such designs have been commended for inspiring people to bring out their creative skills in project making.

300 Plus Ways to Make Your Wedding Your Own is a book of wedding ideas made for brides and grooms-to-be and wedding organizers. It offers a number creative ideas for organizing a wedding as well as some tips on how people can save money while planning for their big day.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Aside from being an author, Victoria Van Ness is also the person behind the establishment of A Piece of Cake Wedding Designs, a company most popularly known for wedding planning services done on a tight budget. Moreover, she possesses a doctorate degree in education.

Upcycle with Sizzix is a book the discuss the proper way of suing the Sizzix die cutting machine. It aims to help the readers in making recycled projects that use paper, fabrics, and other objects as materials much easier. Its pages offer new projects that that can be attained using materials that come from other art projects like collages, banners, gifts, and home décor items. Moreover, each project is accompanied by a list of materials that will be required in making them. The book also comes with photos and illustrations so readers can visualize the things and other ideas that the book focuses on.

PROS

This is perfect for people who are looking for some kind of inspiration in making their die projects. Furthermore, the newbies will have no trouble making their first die cut because the book also provides instructions on how they can properly start with their craft making. The book also offers a chart that the readers can refer to when checking out the compatibility of various Sizzix machines with other die cuts and embossing folders as well as additional information regarding the type of materials that people can use in embossing or die cutting. As for the images of the sample projects, they are accompanied by the list of materials that are used to create them.

CONS

Some people think that the ideas presented in the book are too simple and do not really inspire people to be more creative. There are also some who deem the projects included in the book a bit bizarre to their taste.

EDITORIAL REVIEW

The book adds more creativity to the art of gift wrapping, party and party place designs, and many more occasions with its ideas on using recycled materials and die-cuts. People will gain new insights and inspiration with the amount of information that is presented in the book.

Moreover, the Sizzix brand, which is behind the development of the book, is one of the most popular brand in the field of arts and crafts. The products that they manufacture allow customers to express their creativity by letting them cut various kinds of materials with the die-cutting machine.